VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — After being pulled over by Virginia Beach police, a man attempted to flee by jumping into a frigid lake — News 3 obtained body camera footage of the officers trying to save him from the icy waters.
Virginia Beach police attempted to pull over Johnny Bernard Sharp, 47, for issues with his license plates, only to discover he was wanted for a probation violation. Instead of stopping, police say Sharp ran away and jumped into the frigid Lake Edward near Newtown Road.
The dramatic rescue unfolded on Jan. 24 — body camera video shows how officers took action to keep him alive.
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"Yo, do you need help? Swing back towards us? Dude, you’re not going to last long in that water. Come back over here," a Virginia Beach police officer said in the body camera video.
"Right now, why you ran isn’t important. We need to get you out of that water," another officer said to Sharp.
Body camera shows how their focus quickly turned to saving his life. Officers used a floating device to pull Sharp onto land.
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"Grab that bag. We got you man, you’re good. Grab it. Hold on tight. Give me your hand," another officer said.
Officers then pulled Sharp from the freezing waters. The video shows police cutting Sharp's shirt open to mitigate the risk of hypothermia.
"You’re also racing against the clock too because if you’re in that freezing water for a period of time, you’re going to go into shock and pass away," Brian Luciano, the executive director of the Virginia Beach Benevolent Association said.
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Sharp survived the incident — Police say he was then taken to the hospital after the rescue. He was taken to jail after that.
Luciano says when someone suspected of a crime runs flees, it can turn into an officer's worst nightmare.
"When someone doesn’t pull over or somebody runs, everyone is in a heightened sense because this person is a danger," Luciano said.
